1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a culinary art.
More specifically, it relates to a method, specially useful in hospitals and other institutions, for the efficient and aesthetic purveying of standardized meals made up of several different hot dishes, for example, an entree and assorted vegetables. Accordingly, the invention will be described in this context, by way of example.
2. Description of Prior Art
At the present time, there are the following main ways in which food is served in hospitals.
In one of these procedures, batches of precooked food are placed in receptacles on warming trolleys in a central kitchen, and moved on the trolleys, to the wards, where the food is kept warm and portioned out on the individual patient's dishes.
Another procedure is to dish out the hot food, in the main kitchen or sub-kitchen, into an insulated compartmented tray for each patient and to place an insulated cover on the tray. The tray is transported to the ward and the cover removed, when the food is put before the patient.
According to another procedure, the food is cooked and chilled to a temperature of say 40.degree. to 50.degree. F. and placed in the cold state, on serving plates, in a central kitchen. The serving plates are then covered with metal covers to prevent dehydration. The plate with the cold food on it is put into a warming oven on the ward level, the cover removed and the food served on the plate.
There is also a procedure in which the food, contained in plastic containers is heated by microwave. The problem here is that the different foods do not cook uniformly and plastic containers do not permit of cooking by other means.
There is also a procedure in which there are used ovenable plastic-coated paperboard containers in which the food is precooked and frozen. The food is warmed prior to serving and served in the container.
All these procedures have their disadvantages, and it is an aim of the present invention to provide a practical improved procedure. More specifically, it is an aim of the invention to combine an economical and efficient manner of cooking, freezing, heating and transporting a hygienic, palatable food with an aesthetic manner of serving it.